Textile winding machine



Aug. 7, 1962 J. v. KEITH TEXTILE WINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1959 INVENTOR. JOHN V. KEITH W ATTORNEY 1962 .1. v. KEITH 3,048,343

TEXTILE WINDING MACHINE Filed July 1, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

JOHN V. KEITH ATTORNEY Aug. 7, 1962 J. v. KEITH TEXTILE WINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 1, 1959 INVENTOR. By JOHN \Zfllf ZSH ATTORNEY Aug. 7, 1962 Filed July 1, 1959 J. V. KEITH TEXTILE WINDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 JOHN V. KEITH BY ATTORNEY 1962 J. v. KEITH 3,048,343

TEXTILE WINDING MACHINE JOHN V. KEITH ATTORNEY 3,048,343 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 Fire 3,048,343 TEXTILE DING MACE John V. Keith, Warwick, R.I., assignor to Leesona Q01- poration, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 1, 1959, Ser. No. 824,262 Claims. (Cl. 24245) The present invention relates to a winding machine and more particularly to a winding machine for taking up yarn at a constant linear speed and is a continuationin-part of my copending application Serial No. 799,934, filed March 17, 1959.

In the following specification and claims the term yarn is employed in a general sense to apply to all kinds of strand material, either textile or otherwise, and the designation package is intended to mean the product of a winding machine whatever its form.

Many winding operations involve a strand of yarn continually advancing at a substantially constant speed. To wind such a strand requires continual reduction of spindle speed to compensate for the increase in diameter of said package as yarn is wound thereon. Prior art spindle speed controls have been responsive to growth of the winding package, total revolutions of the spindle, time elapsed, or tension in the strand of yarn. These have been more or less unsatisfactory for various reasons.

A speed control mechanism responsive to package growth cannot compensate for variations in the strand speed and the mechanisms based on total spindle revolutions or time elapsed suifer from the same defect. Furthermore, none of those mechanisms are capable of compensating for fluctuations of tension in the winding strand which result in variations in package density. Controls responsive to strand tension present serious problems inasmuch as the relatively weak strand of yarn must do all the work of speed adjusting over the Wide range from the maximum spindle speed required at the start of a package to the minimum speed at the completion of wind- 1ng.

In the winding machine of the present invention a coarse spindle speed adjustment is made by one of the first three mentioned means, i.e., package growth, total spindle revolutions, or time elapsed, and the speed is then finely tuned in response to strand tension thus relieving the strand from most of the work involved in controlling the speed.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein the peripheral speed of the winding package is maintained substantially constant in response to growth of the winding package, total revolutions of the spindle, or elapsed time and said speed further is finely matched to the speed of the yarn being wound in response to tension therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine capable of winding under light tension a continuously advancing strand of yarn at a substantially constant speed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine capable of winding under light tension at high speed small denier yarn which is being continuously advanced at a substantially constant rate of speed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine for Winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein said yarn is maintained under aconstant predetermined tension at all times during said Winding.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein the growth of the package being Wound functions to actuate a continuously adjustable auto-transformer to control the speed at which the yarn is being wound onto the package.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein tension on said strand being wound moves a contact brush relative to the contact surface of a coil to finely adjust the speed at which the yarn is being wound.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein the peripheral speed of the winding package is maintained substantially constant in response to growth of the winding package, total revolutions of the spindle, or elapsed time and said speed is finely matched to the speed of the yarn being wound by means of a core moved into and out of a reactor coil by tension variations in the yarn.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein the coaction of speed adjustments initiated by package growth and variations in yarn tension provide a constant, sensitive winding speed and tension control throughout a wide range of package sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn wherein said yarn is maintained under a constant predetermined tension at all times during winding.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for winding under light tension at high speed small denier yarn which is being advanced at a substantially constant rate of speed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for maintaining the Winding speed and strand tension of a winding machine substantially constant throughout a wide range of package sizes.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts and the method comprising the steps which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, of one embodiment of a winding machine incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the motor controlling member of the winding machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a preferred motor control circuit for the winding machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation with parts broken away of a preferred embodiment of a winding machine illustrating a reactor coil and potentiometer incorporated into the speed control arrangement; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of a preferred motor control circuit for the winding machine of FIG. 4.

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a winding machine having a spindle driven by an electric motor, means for traversing a continually advancing strand of yarn longitudinally of said spindle, an electrical member for controlling the speed of said motor comprising a body and a slidable contact, means for moving said body relative to said contact as the Winding package increases in diameter, and means for moving said contact relative to said body in response to tension in the winding strand.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein is disclosed a winding machine incorporating the speed control of the present invention. Winding unit '10 is of the type disclosed in United States Patent No 2,740,590 issued April 3, 1956, to J. V. Keith for a Winding Machine. Unit is fully described in said Patent No. 2,740,- 590 and only so much of it as is necessary to a complete understanding of the present invention Will be described herein. Winding unit It is mounted on a pedestal or base and comprises a housing 36 mounted for pivotal movement on shaft 38 which is fixedly attached to said base. A rotatable spindle 17 adapted to receive a package core or yarn holder 18 is journaled in and extends from housing 36. Traverse mechanism 26 has a reciprocating yarn guide 23 adapted to traverse a strand of yarn Y longitudinally of core 18.

Means are provided within housing 36 for pivoting said housing about shaft 38 to move spindle 17 away from yarn guide 28 at the same rate as yarn is wound on core 18 to maintain the distance between yarn guide 28 and the periphery of the winding package substantially constant.

A linkage connects housing 36 to the frame 64 of an auto-transformer 15. Linkage 50 comprises a substantially rigid lever 52 fixed at one end to housing 36 contiguous an end of shaft 38 by screws 54. Link 56 is pivotally connected at one end to the other end of lever 52 and at its other end is pivotally connected to lever 57 which is fixed to shaft 61' which in turn is rotatably journaled in base 30. A lever 58 is fixed at one end to shaft 60 Within base 30 and has its other end connected to adjustable auto-transformer frame 64- by means of link 62 which has its end pivotally connected to said frame and said lever.

A substantially rigid, generally rectangular yoke member 66 is fixed to the inner wall of base 36 by means of screws 67 and boss 68 which passes through a suitable opening in the wall of base 30. Boss 68 is provided with a bore in which a bushing 71 is fixed by means of set screw 73. Bushing 71 extends outwardly of said boss 68. A shaft 72 is journaled in bushing 71 and extends from both ends thereof. One end of compensator arm 79 is fixed to the outward or exterior end of shaft 72 and yarn engaging roller 74 is rotatably journaled at the opposite end of compensator arm 70. The inner end of shaft 72 is journaled in yoke 66 by means of bushing 76 and is retained in position by collar 77 fixed to the rearward end of shaft 72. Adjustable auto-transformer 15 comprising toroidal Winding 152, plate 65, and contact 155 is mounted within yoke 66. Toroidal winding 152, which is in the form of a hollow cylinder and has frame 64 rigidly secured to one end thereof, is mounted coaxially shaft 72 by means of bearings 78 for rotation therearound. Plate is fixed to shaft 72 for rotation therewith and is located at the opposite end of toroidal winding 152 from frame 64-. Contact 155 is mounted on the periphery of plate 65 and is so constructed and arranged that it is in contact with said toroidal winding for rotation thereagainst.

It will be appreciated that movement of compensator arm will move plate 65 and contact 155 relative to winding 152 and that movement of housing 36, acting through linkage 50 will rotate winding 152 relative to brush 155.

The winding machine of the present invention can be operated by connecting an A.C. power source to the input terminals of adjustable auto-transformer 15 and the output terminals thereof to motor 16, which would have to be an A.C. motor in such case.

A second embodiment is to substitute a rheostat for adjustable auto-transformer 15, the resistance element thereof corresponding to winding 152 and the movable contact thereof corresponding to contact 155. Such a rheostat would be wired in series with motor 16 so as to reduce the voltage across said motor in response to growth of the winding package or increased tension in the winding strand.

A third embodiment is to employ auto-transformer 15 in the circuit disclosed in the schematic diagram of FIG. 3. This arrangement provides a speed control substantially independent of motor load.

Referring now to FIG. 3 transformer 12 comprises a primary winding connected to alternating current supply terminals 121 and 122, a center-tapped step-up armature winding 123, step-down filament windings 124 and 125, a center-tapped step-down grid winding 126 and step-down field winding 127.

Armature 160 has brush 161 connected to the center tap of winding 123, and brush 162 connected to the centers of the filaments of tubes 130 and 131. Potentials are applied across the filaments of tubes 13!) and 131 by windings 124 and respectively. The plate of tube is connected to the end tap of winding 123 adjacent winding 124 and the plate of tube 131 is connected to the end tap of winding 123 adjacent winding 125.

Serially connected capacitor 132 and resistor 133 are connected across the end taps of winding 126 with the positive terminal of said capacitor connected to the tap adjacent winding 124. Serially connected capacitor 134 and resistor 135 are also connected across the end taps of winding 126 but with the positive terminal of capacitor 134 connected to the end tap not connected directly to capacitor 132. The negative terminal of capacitor 132 is connected through resistor 136 to the grid of tube 130. The negative terminal of capacitor 134- is connected through resistor 137 to the grid of tube 131. The positive terminals of a pair of capacitors 156 and 157 are connected to the grids of tubes 130 and 131 respectively and the negative terminals of said capacitors are connected to brush 162.

In parallel with armature 160 is a load compensator network comprising resistors 138 and 139, and capacitor 171. Resistors 138 and 139 are connected in series across brushes 161 and 162. The negative terminal of capacitor 171 is connected to the junction between resistors 138 and 139 and the positive terminal of said capacitor is connected to brush 162.

Winding 127 is connected to a rectifier filter comprising four selenium rectifiers 172, capacitors 173 and 174, and resistor 175. Rectifiers 172 are connected forming a bridge 17 so that the alternating potential applied by field 127 to the input terminals produces a pulsating direct current at the output terminals of said bridge. The negative terminals of capacitors 17 3 and 174 are connected together and the positive terminals thereof are connected to opposite terminals of resistors 175. Capacitor 173 is then connected across the output terminals of bridge 17 so as to form a filter to attenuate the pulsations of the direct current output of said bridge and to maintain the voltage across capacitor 174 substantially constant.

Field 164 and serially connected voltage-reducing resistor 131 are connected in parallel with capacitor 174. Fixed resistor 182 and serially connected potentiometer 183, having adjustable contact 184, are also connected in parallel with capacitor 174. Contact 184 is connected to the negative terminal of capacitor 171.

Auto-transformer 15 comprises winding '152 having end taps 153 and 154- and slidable contact 155. End taps 153 and 154 are connected to alternating current supply terminals 121 and 122 respectively. Contact 155 and tap 154 are connected to the input terminals of a rectifier filter comprising four selenium rectifiers 142, capacitors 143 and 144, and resistors and 146. Rectifiers 142 are connected to form a bridge 14 so that the alternating potential applied by winding 152 to the input terminals produces a pulsating direct current at the output terminals of said bridge. The negative output terminal of bridge 14 is connected to the negative output terminal of bridge 17.

The negative terminals of capacitors 143 and 144 are connected together and the positive terminals thereof are connected to opposite terminals of resistor 145. Resistor 146 is connected in parallel with capacitor 144. Capacitor 143 is connected across the output terminals of bridge 14 so as to form a filter to attenuate the pulsations of the direct current output of said bridge and to maintain the voltage across resistor 146 substantially constant. The positive terminal of capacitor 144 is connected through resistor 147 to the center tap of winding 126.

Tubes 130 and 131 comprise a full wave rectifier to provide current to armature 160. During one half of the AC. cycle the filament of tube 130 is at a lower potential than its plate and during the other half of the AC. cycle this occurs in tube 131. Filament-to-plate current in either tube provides current through armature 160. Whether such current will flow depends on the potential applied to the tube grids. The grid voltage comprises an AC. component provided by, winding 126, phaseshifted by capacitors 132 and 134 and superimposed on the filtered DC. output of bridge 14. Adjusting the magnitude of said D.C. component controls the filament-toplate current in tubes 130 and 131 and, hence, the current through armature 161). The larger negative voltage applied to the center tap of winding 126, the less current will fiow through armature 160.

The above described circuit and mechanism operates in the following manner. Strand of yarn Y being fed at a substantially constant speed passes down under yarn engaging roller 74, up to yarn guide 28 and onto the package core carried by spindle 17. The strand of yarn Y thus forms a bight which supports compensator arm 70 and yarn engaging roller 74. At the start of winding compensator arm 70 is preferably located in a substantially horizontal position and slidable contact 155 is positioned adjacent but spaced slightly from end tap 153. As the winding package increases in diameter housing 36 rotates clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 about shaft 38 to thereby move the outer end of lever 52 downwards. Said movement carries link 56 downwards to rotate bell crank 58 to thereby move link 62 generally upwards and to the left. This rotates frame 64 of auto-transformer 15 counterclockwise moving winding 152 relative to contact 155 to bring end tap 154 closer to said contact. This relative movement of winding 152 and contact 155 decreases the output voltage of auto-transformer 15 thereby causing motor 16 and spindle 17 to decelerate.

At the same time an increase of tension in the winding strand Y above a certain predetermined value lifts compensator arm 70 to rotate shaft 72 clockwise and functions to move slidable contact 155 relative to winding 152. The direction of this movement is such as to bring slidable contact 155 closer to end tap 154 to again decrease the output voltage of auto-transformer 15 thus causing motor 16 and spindle 17 to decelerate.

A decrease of tension in yarn Y below said predetermined value allows compensator arm 76 to move downward, rotating shaft 72 counterclockwise and moving slidable contact 155 relative to winding 152 and in a direction toward end tap 153. This movement of slidable contact 155 increases the voltage output of auto-transformer 15 with the result that motor 16 and spindle 17 will be accelerated until the spindle is again winding yarn at the same speed as said yarn is being advanced.

As hereinabove explained the relative positions of .winding 152 and contact 155 change in response to growth in the winding package and in response to tension in the winding strand respectively. These changes are such that growth of the winding package or increased strand tension increases the negative filtered output voltage of bridge 14 to thereby decrease the current through armature 160 of motor 16 and slow the speed thereof. Decreased tension in the winding strand decreases the negative filtered .output voltage of bridge 14 to thereby increase the current through armature of motor 16 and advance the speed thereof.

Thus the tension and speed of strand Y are maintained at a predetermined value by means of a dual-adjustment process which takes place continuously and gradually so that no appreciable fluctuations in tension occur in said strand.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the present invention having a potentiometer actuated through movement of the spindle housing 36 in response to package growth to adjust the voltage input to motor 16 to thereby regulate the speed of said motor and of spindle 17. Simultaneously, a reactor coil 24 and a core 27 of magnetic material actuated by a yarn engaging means regulate current input to motor 16 to control the speed of said motor and winding spindle 17 in response to variations in yarn tension.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings. Winding uni-t 10 is of the type previously referred to as disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,740,590. A cam member 41, generally triangular in shape, and having a cam surface 44 defined along one leg thereof is mounted fast to spindle housing 36 by screws 54. Said member is thus adapted to rotate with housing 36 in response to growth of a package being wound on spindle 17'. Traverse mechanism 2%, including reciprocating yarn guide 28, traverses the winding strand of yarn Y along the winding package. A lever 40, rotatably mounted on stud 39, has cam follower 46 on its uppermost end. A pin 42 is fixedly positioned in the lowermost end of lever 40 and extends horizontally outward from said arm.

As viewed in FIG. 4 a pulley 49 is rotatably mounted to the left of lever 40 on stud shaft 51 fixed in panel 30 and in substantially horizontal alignment with pin 42. Pulley 53 is similarly positioned on the opposite side of lever 40 on stub shaft 55. A pulley 57 is fixed on rotatable shaft 59, positioned intermediate of pulleys 49 and 53 and slightly thereabove. Said shaft extends through panel 30' and is connected at its inner end to a contact 63 of a potentiometer 61 mounted within panel 36. Pulleys 49, 53, and 57 are connected to pin 42 of lever 40 by a thin flexible cable 69 fixed to pin 42 in any convenient manner. As viewed in FIG. 4 said cable passes from pin 42 clockwise about pulley 49 completely around pulley 57, around pulley 53 and back to pin 42. It will thus be understood that as lever 40 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, due to growth of a winding package clockwise rotation will be imparted through cable 69 to pulley 57 to actuate contact 63 of potentiometer 61.

The strand tension control means of the present embodiment is of the type disclosed in United States Patent 2,752,105 issued June 26, 1956 to I. V. Keith for a Winding Machine. Referring to FIG. 4 a wheel 22 is rotatably mounted above reactor coil 24 on shaft 26 with its periphery substantially tangent to the axis of said coil. Shaft 26 extends through and is rotatably journaled in panel 31?. Core 27 is connected to wheel 22 by a flexible tape 32 secured at one of its ends to the periphery of wheel 22 and having its other end anchored to one end of core 27 whereby rotation of said wheel will raise and lower said core thereby causing it to move into or out of the axial opening in reactor coil 24. A compensator arm 70' is fixed adjacent one of its ends to the end of shaft 26 projecting from the face of panel 30 and carries a yarn engaging roll 74 at its opposing end. Yarn engaging roll 74' is adapted to engage running strand of yarn Y, which is being fed at a constant speed, prior to said yarn engaging said yarn guide 28 so that an increase in tension in the strand will lift said compensator arm and a decrease in tension will permit said compensator arm to be lowered thereby to lower core 27 into coil 24 as yarn tension increases and to remove said core from said coil when said tension decreases.

Referring to FIG. 5 wherein is shown a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuit employed with the structure disclosed in FIG. 4 for driving variable speed DC. motor 16. The circuit consists of an impedance device including a thyratron tube 220 and grid phasing circuitry associated therewith to rectify the current and control the voltage to motor 16'. One side of motor 16' is connected to A.C. line 216 and the other side is connected by means of lead 201 to the center of filament winding 204. The primary winding 209 of transformer 210 is connected across A.C. lines 215 and 216 by means of leads 207 and 208. Switch 217 in line 216 serves as the start, stop switch for motor 16. Rectifiers 211, 213 and resistor 214 are connected in series across A.C. lines 215 and 216. One side of motor shunt field 212 is connected to line 216 and its other side is connected between rectifiers 211, 213.

Transformer 206 supplies filament voltage to thyratron tube 220 and is comprised of a tapped primary winding 219 connected across A.C. lines 215 and 216 and step down secondary filament winding 204. Adjustment on the taps of primary winding 219 provides correct filament voltage for predetermined line voltage.

D.C. reference voltage to the grid 223 of thyratron tube 220 is supplied in the following manner. Secondary coil 232 of transformer 210, reactor coil 24 and primary winding 236 of transformer 238 are connected in series. Secondary 240 of transformer 210 is connected in series with secondary 242 of transformer 238. A variable voltage is thereby produced across said coils 240 and 242 depending upon the position of core 27 in reactor coil 24. Series connected potentiometers 61 and 244 are connected across coils 240 and 242 through half wave rectifier 248. One side of capacitor 250 is connected to the adjustable contact 245 of potentiometer 244 and the other side of said capacitor 250 is connected to lead 246 which connects potentiometer 61 to coil 240. Contact 63 is connected to fixed resistor 228 and capacitor 230 which are connected in parallel. Resistor 228 and capacitor 230 in turn are connected, through lead 221, to one side of resistor 222. The other side of resistor 222 is connected to lead 257. AC. lead 215 is connected to the plate 218 of thyratron tube 220 and the serially connected capacitor 262 and resistor 258 are connected across leads 257 and 215. The lead 257 is connected to the grid 223 of tube 220 through resistor 260 by means of lead 268. Capacitor 266 is connected across lead 268 and one side of filament winding 204. Lead 257 also is connected to one side of capacitor 264 and the other side of said capacitor 264 is connected to lead 201 by lead 270.

Lead 225 is connected between resistor 214 and rectifier 211 and in turn is connected to lead 246 by lead 251. Lead 225 is also connected between resistors 222 and 228 by switch 226 and capacitor 224 which are in parallel. Switches 217 and 226 are mechanically interconnected so that closing switch 217 to start motor 16' will open switch 226.

Motor 16' is phased on or off and its speed is controlled by a control signal applied to grid 223 of thyratron tube 220. Said control signal is superimposed on an alternating current, the phase of which is shifted by the network composed of resistors 258, and 260, and capacitors 262, 264, and 266.

The control signal is a variable DC. voltage supplied in the following described manner. Secondary winding 240 of transformer 210 develops a fixed voltage while secondary winding 242 of transformer 238 develops a voltage which varies according to the impedance of reactor coil 24. The impedance of coil 24 is determined by the position of core 27 in coil 24. The voltage developed in win-ding 242 is added to the voltage developed in series-connected winding 240 and the total voltage is applied across half wave rectifier 248 and potentiometers 61 and 2 4-4. The voltage across said potentiometers is, therefore, determined by the position of core 27 in the bore of coil 24.

Adjustable contact 63 picks the control signal to be applied to grid 223 through the phase shifting network from potentiometer 61. The voltage applied to said grid of thyratron tube 220 is, therefore, determined by the position of contact 63 on potentiometer 61 and the position of core 27 in coil 24. As explained above contact 63 is positioned in response to package growth and core 27 by yarn tension. When the D.C. control signal acting in conjunction with the phase shifted grid voltage reaches a high enough level it phases thyratron tube 220 on permitting current to flow therethrough and causes DC. motor 16' to turn.

The collapse of the motor shunt field in coil 212 induces a negative grid bias voltage across resistor 214 which is applied to grid 223 through leads 225 and 251 and the phase shifting network to phase off thyratron tube 220 when contact 63 of potentiometer 61 is all the way to the left.

Main start stop switch 217 is linked mechanically to switch 226 so that closing switch 217 to start the operation of the winding machine opens switch 226. When switch 226 is opened capacitor 230, which is charged to the voltage of Contact 63, immediately starts to discharge through resistor 228. At the start of this discharge the voltage at 221 is equal to zero because the voltage on 63 and capacitor 230 are opposite in sign. As capacitor 230 discharges the control voltage at 221, and applied to grid 223, rises until a value is reached which will cause tube 220 to fire, thus providing a desirable slow start for motor 16'.

When switch 226 is open capacitor 224 becomes charged to the value of the control signal and this charge serves to cushion any sudden changes in the control signal that might be occasioned by rapid movement of core 27.

The mechanism and circuit of FIGS. 4 and 5 operates in the following manner. Strand of yarn Y, being fed at a substantially constant rate, passes down under yarn engaging roller 74', up to yarn guide 28 and onto the package core carried by spindle 17 The strand of yarn thus forms a bight which supports and moves compensator arm and yarn engaging roll 74'.

At the start of the winding cycle contact 63 is positioned a predetermined point away from the end tap of potentiometer 61. Contact 245 is fixedly positioned on potentiometer 244 to thereby establish a predetermined speed range for motor 16' throughout the winding cycle. As the package being wound increases in diameter housing 36' will pivot about shaft 38' in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4 to thereby actuate lever 40 by motion transmitted from cam 41. As lever 40 pivots, cable 69 will impart rotation through pulleys 49 and 55 to pulley 57 whereby shaft 59 will rotate to move contact 63 relative to the end tap of potentiometer 61 to thereby adjust the voltage to motor 16 to decelerate said motor and spindle 17 in response to package growth.

Simultaneously, with the winding of a strand of yarn on a package core variations in yarn tension are controlled by use of compensator arm 70' and roll 74' coacting with reactor coil 24 and core 27. As previously stated, yarn engaging roller 74' of compensator arm 70' is supported, at the beginning of the winding cycle, preferably in a substantially horizontal position by strand of yarn Y. In this position core 27 of coil 24 is located approximately midway into the bore of coil 24. As winding of a package on spindle 17 progresses compensator arm 70' will respond to increases in yarn tension to cause said arm to be raised, thereby causing core 27 to be lowered further into coil 24 through wheel 22 and flexible tape 32. Conversely, a decrease in yarn tension will cause compensator arm 70' to move downwardly whereupon core 27 will be moved upwardly out of coil 24. As core 27 moves relative to coil 24 the impedance of said coil is changed and as above described a change in the impedance of coil 24 changes the current supplied motor 16. It will thus be seen that as strand tension increases compensator arm 70 will be lifted to thereby slow motor 16' until yarn tension is reduced to a level where said compensator arm once again assumes a substantially horizontal position. Conversely as strand tension decreases motor 16" will respond to reduced voltage impedance of coil 24 to speed up until yarn tension is such that said compensator arm is returned to said horizontal position.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn comprising a rotatable spindle, means for traversing a winding strand of yarn longitudinally of said spindle, a variable speed electric motor for rotating said spindle and actuating said traversing means, an electrical circuit operative to connect said motor to a source of electrical power, said circuit when operative constantly supplying power to said motor and including means for varying the amount of electric power supplied to said motor, said last mentioned means comprising impedance means requiring a combination of at least two electrical signals for varying the power supplied to said motor and connected in series with said motor, first signal means for applying a first electrical signal to said impedance means, first control means for controlling said signal according to the growth of a winding package to reduce the power supplied to said motor, second signal means for supplying a second electrical signal to said impedance means, and second control means for controlling one of said signal means to reduce the power supplied to said motor when the tension of the strand exceeds a predetermined value and to increase the power supplied to said motor when the yarn tension is less than a predetermined value.

2. A winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn comprising a rotatable spindle, means for traversing a winding strand of yarn longitudinally of said spindle, a variable speed electric motor having at least one winding, said motor being connected to rotate said spindle and actuate said traversing means, an electrical circuit operative to connect said motor to a source of electric power and including means for varying the amount of power supplied to said winding, said last mentioned means comprising impedance means requiring a combination of at least two electrical signals for varying the power supplied to said motor, and connected in series with said winding, first signal means for supplying a first electrical signal to said impedance means, first control means responsive to the growth of a winding package for controlling said signal, second signal means for supplying a second electrical signal to said impedance means, second control means responsive to the tension of the strand for controlling one of said signal means and combining means coupled to said impedance means for combining said signals and applying the signals to said impedance means thereby controlling the power supplied to said motor.

3. A winding machine according to claim 2, wherein said impedance means comprises an electron tube having an anode, a cathode and a control electrode and wherein said combining means is connected to said control electrode.

4. A winding machine according to claim 2, wherein said impedance means is a gas-filled electron tube having an anode, a cathode and a control grid, the anode-cathode circuit of said tube being connected in series with said winding, said control grid being connected to said combining means.

5. A winding machine according to claim 4, wherein said first signal means is an alternating current signal means and said second signal means is a direct current signal means.

6. A winding machine according to claim 5 wherein both of said responsive means control said direct current signal means and wherein said combining means includes a phase shift circuit connected to the grid of said gas-filled tube.

7. A winding machine according to claim 5, wherein one of said control means controls said alternating current signal means and wherein the other control means controls the direct current signal means.

8. A winding machine for winding a continuously advancing strand of yarn comprising a rotatable spindle, means for traversing a winding strand of yarn longitudinally of said spindle, a variable speed electric motor for rotating said spindle and actuating said traversing means, an electrical circuit operative to connect said motor to a source of electric power and for varying the amount of power supplied to said motor, said last mentioned means comprising a thyratron tube having an anode, a cathode and a control grid, said tube requiring at least two electrical signals on the grid thereof to cause conduction therethrough, the anode-cathode path being serially connected between said motor and said source, signal combining means connected to said grid, first signal means for supplying a first electrical signal to said combining means and second signal means for supplying a second electrical signal to said combining means, first control means responsive to the tension of the strand for varying one of said signal means and second control means responsive to the growth of the winding on said spindle for varying one of said signal means whereby the power to said motor is reduced as the winding on said spindle grows and the power supplied to said motor decreases when the tension in said yarn increases.

9. A winding machine according to claim 8, wherein one of said signal means includes an alternating current circuit connected between said source and said combining means and wherein said first control means is connected in circuit with said last mentioned alternating current circuit to control the alternating current signals fed to said combining means.

10. A winding machine according to claim 9, wherein said second signal means comprises a direct current circuit having a variable resistance connected to the combining means and wherein said second control means is coupled to said variable resistance to vary the direct current signal applied to said combining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,959 Swanson Sept. 29, 1942 2,752,105 Keith June 26, 1956 2,915,254 Weber et a1. Dec. 1, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 718,682 Germany Mar. 19, 1942 

